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Shared May 26, 2014 comment

10 Goals for This Week

Published: by Crystal Paine on May 26, 2014 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

So the past week was wonderful, wild, and wee bit crazy. I’ll be sharing all about it later today… but I was encouraged that in the midst of everything that went on, I did get some goals crossed off my list.

This week is looking like it will be much calmer. I have quick trip to Little Rock on Wednesday to do some radio tapings and filming with FamilyLife about my book, Say Goodbye to Survival Mode. I’ll be flying out that morning and back that night, so it will be a full day… but I’m looking forward to it as I love the folks at FamilyLife!

Last Week’s Goals:

Marriage/Mothering/Homemaking Goals

~~1. Get our closet organized.~~

2. Get the garage organized.

~~3. Get the bookshelf/school area organized.~~

~~4. Write a love note to Jesse.~~

5. Finish embroidering quilt square for my sister’s baby quilt.

Personal Goals

6. Work on memorizing & reviewing Romans 1:1-29.

~~7. Exercise four times.~~

8. Finish reading Red Hot Monogamy, The Traitor’s Wife, and ~~Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook~~.

Business Goals

~~9. Finish tweaks/edits for my talks this weekend at the~~ ~~Florida Homeschool Convention~~

10. Write one guest post for another blog.

This Week’s Goals:

Marriage/Mothering/Homemaking Goals

1. Read 4 chapters of Brother Andrew: Behind Enemy Lines aloud to the kids.

2. Get the garage organized.

3. Write a love note to Jesse.

4. Finish embroidering quilt square for my sister’s baby quilt.

Personal Goals

5. Work on memorizing & reviewing Romans 1:1-29.

6. Exercise four times.

7. Finish reading Red Hot Monogamy, The Traitor’s Wife, I Thought It Was Just Me (But It Isn’t), Breathe, The Measure of Success, and In a Pit With a Lion on a Snowy Day

Business Goals

8. Finish tweaks/edits to a new product we’re releasing soon.

9. Write one guest post for another blog.

10. Shoot one video for my YouTube channel.

How did you do on last week’s goals? What are your goals for this week? I’d love to have you share your progress on last week’s goals and your goals for this coming week in the comments. Of, if you’ve blogged about it, leave your direct link below. Let’s cheer each other on to live purposeful and productive lives! You can download a free customizable weekly goal-planning sheet here.

Shared May 26, 2014 comment

This Week’s Menu Plan + One-Hour Freezer Cooking Plan

Published: by Crystal Paine on May 26, 2014 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Breakfasts

Oatmeal, Cereal, Eggs, and/or Fruit

Lunches

Mac & cheese, fruit
Snack-y lunch {veggies, cheese, yogurt, fruit, crackers, etc.}
PB&J, carrot sticks, apples
Cheese quesadillas, carrot sticks
Leftovers x 3

Snacks

Fruit/veggies
Popcorn
Boiled eggs

Freezer Cooking in an Hour Plan

Pizza Stuffed Pretzel Rolls
Flaky Biscuits
Freezer-Friendly Pizza Dough

Dinners

Eggs & Bacon (our simple Sunday night dinner!)
Cheeseburger Flatbread Melts, steamed veggies, fruit
Brown Sugar Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, steamed veggies, fruit
Million Dollar Spaghetti, steamed veggies,
Southwest Roll-Ups, fruit, salad
Homemade Pepperoni Pizza, fruit
Dinner Out

What’s on your menu this week? Tell us in the comments or leave a link to your menu plan post.

Shared May 26, 2014 comment

12 Months to a Healthier You: Week 21 Check-In

Published: by Crystal Paine on May 26, 2014 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Are you joining us for the 12 Months to a Healthier You Challenge? If so, it’s time for our weekly check-in to post our progress.

May’s Challenge:

We’re focusing on developing the habit of getting more rest. I encourage you to set a simple and doable goal for getting more rest and to stick with it.

New to this challenge? Read more details on the plan for this year here.

My Get More Rest Goal for May

My goal for May is to get at least 7.5 hours of sleep every night.

I’m also hoping to keep up with January’s habit of exercising at least 4-5 times every week, February’s goal of eating a big salad at least six times a week, March’s goal of drinking 8 glasses of water every day, and April’s goal of eating dessert once a week.

This Week’s Progress:

Well, I had high hopes that I’d hit my goal of 7.5 hours of sleep every night this past week and I didn’t quite make it. However, I DID get one 11-hour stretch of sleep after I came home from my trip to Florida, so that makes up for some of it, right??

I hit my water goals five days, exercised four days, ate a salad six of the days, and had dessert two times. So yes, I’m not hitting all of my goals perfectly, but I’m going to celebrate the progress I’m making!

How Are YOU Doing?

Leave a comment telling us how you did on your exercise goals this past week. If you’re blogging about this challenge, leave the direct link to your blog post about the challenge below. Are you on social media? You can also share your progress on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, or Twitter by using hashtag #12MonthstoaHealthierYou.

Shared May 23, 2014 comment

Gretchen’s $58 Shopping Trip and Weekly Menu Plan

Published: by Crystal Paine on May 23, 2014 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Aldi

1 Frozen Peas – $0.95

1 bag Gala Apples – $2.99

2 Strawberries – $0.99 (I noticed when I got home I was charged for 3 packages of strawberries instead of 2.) 🙁

1 Rice Cakes – $1.29

1 Mini Marshmallows – $0.89

1 Flour Tortillas – $1.19

1 Pineapple – $1.29

1 bag Tomatoes – $0.99

2 Cucumbers – $0.49 each

1 Cantaloupe – $1.29

1 loaf Bread – $0.99

1 Mild Salsa – $1.69

Total with tax ($1.25): $18.76

Dillons

1 gallon Milk – $3.09

1 Kroger Sour Cream – $1

4 Land O Lakes Spreadable Butter – $1.88 each, used 2 $0.50/1 printable and 2 $0.40/1 coupon from the 4/13 SmartSource insert – $1.43 each after coupons (We LOVE this butter!)

1 Kroger Frozen Orange Juice Concentrate – $1.59

1.57 lbs Bananas @ $0.59/lb – $0.93

1 Kroger Cream Cheese – $1

1 Kroger Shredded Cheese – $2

1 dozen Dillons Eggs – $1.69

1 Hillshire Farms Sausage – $3.99, used $3/1 e-coupon – $0.99 after coupon (I’ve never bought this before but couldn’t resist trying it after this great price. We’ll see how we like it!)

0.54 lbs Broccoli @ $0.99/lb – $0.53

2 Lettuce – $0.99 each

4 Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ Sauce – $1 each, used 2 $1/2 coupon from the 5/18 SmartSource insert – $0.50 each after coupon

2 Chocolate Chex Cereal – Marked down to $1.89 each, used $1/2 coupon from the 5/4 SmartSource insert – $1.39 each after coupons

1 Raisins – $1.79

1 Psst Crackers – $1.19

2 Kroger Cream of Mushroom Soup – $1 each

1 Quilted Northern Bath Tissue – $5.99, used $1/1 printable – $4.99 after coupon

Total after sales and coupons: $40.02

Total for all grocery items: $58.78

Menu Plan for this Week

Breakfasts

Pancakes, Homemade Granola, Cereal, Eggs, Juice

Lunches

Cheese Quesadillas, Tossed Salad, Crackers/Fruit/Veggies, Mac & Cheese, Leftovers

Dinners

Sour Cream Enchiladas, Chips and Salsa, Fruit Salad

Salad Bar (This is one of our favorite dinners in spring/summer!)

Pasta Salad, Sliced Apples

Poor Man’s Steak (using deer meat), Biscuits, Green Beans, Tossed Salad

Scrambled Eggs and Sausage, Fruit Salad

Italian Chicken, Texas Roadhouse Copycat Rolls, Steamed Broccoli

Leftovers (I’ve been trying to do better about eating up the leftovers in our refrigerator vs letting them go to waste. It’s worked pretty well to do one night devoted to just eating leftovers. And I enjoy having an night off from cooking!)

Shared May 22, 2014 comment

How I Put Menu Planning on Auto-Pilot

Published: by Crystal Paine on May 22, 2014 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Ashley emailed in the following tip:

I love being a stay-at-home mom, but cooking is not my favorite part of the job. Menu planning has been difficult for me because I always had trouble figuring out what to make.

I decided I needed to make menu planning easier so that I could instead focus my attention on things that energize me. I started by going through all my cookbooks and making a comprehensive list of all the recipes that I have ever made and liked.

I ended up with 60 recipes. Then, I organized the recipes on the list so that there was good variety.

After that, I divided my completed list of recipes into three lists of about twenty recipes each. Since I don’t cook every day of the week (we typically have sandwiches and frozen pizza on the weekends), each list was enough to cover about a month of meals. After three months, I start over with the first list.

I decided to take things a step further and also put my grocery shopping on auto-pilot. I looked at each recipe and wrote down the needed ingredients. I then came up with a comprehensive shopping list to go with each of the three recipe lists.

I watch local store ads for sales on items that are on my shopping lists and stock up on whatever I can. Then, at the beginning of each month, I print off the appropriate list, cross off whatever ingredients I already have, and head to the store to buy the rest.

I get most of our groceries at Aldi, shop the sales at County Market, and get whatever else I need at Walmart. The rest of the month there are just a few basic staples we have to buy whenever we are running out, like bread, milk, and fruit.

I have a large calendar on our kitchen wall. Each week, I look at what we have going on and decide what days I am going to cook. I then fill out the calendar days with the recipes from my list. I like seeing it all on the calendar so I can keep track of how old leftovers are, and so my husband can look forward to supper.

My new system of menu planning has been really beneficial for me. I no longer have to decide what to cook; the list tells me what to cook, and I get to be surprised!

Also, I don’t have to write out long grocery lists anymore, and the pantry is tidier because I only buy things that I know I will be cooking with in the next few weeks. I am also done dealing with the guilt that comes when it’s noon and I haven’t decided yet what to make for supper!

photo source

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Shared May 21, 2014 comment

How do you keep hope alive when everything goes wrong?

Published: by Crystal Paine on May 21, 2014 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

We’ve recently moved cross-country for a new job for my husband, but are now facing unemployment. We have a small baby, and all our family and friends are on the other side of the country. How did you keep going and keep hope alive during your hard times? -Heather

Oh, Heather! I read your email and my heart went out to you.

You see, we were in a very similar situation about 7 years ago when our second daughter (Kaitlynn) was born. We’d moved to Kansas City for a job for my husband and then that job situation ended up not panning out at all like we expected. Soon after Kaitlynn was born, we found ourselves in a city where we knew very few people, without a job, and with very little money.

We were committed to stay out of debt, but as the weeks wore on and no job turned up and our savings began to dwindle, it was hard to hang onto hope. And to be honest, there were many days when I felt completely overwhelmed and stressed.

But looking back, here’s the advice I would give to myself based on things I learned during that time period:

1. Practice Gratitude

You are in the middle of very difficult circumstances. Many of them are not circumstances you would have chosen for yourself.

Life feels difficult, overwhelming, and maybe just downright exhausting. But that doesn’t meant there aren’t at least a few things you can be grateful for right now.

Focus on the good things in your life — whether that’s your baby’s smile, sunshine outside, a kind word from your husband, or the smell of bread baking. If you focus on your problems, you’ll naturally feel discouraged. When you choose to look for the blessings instead, you’ll begin to notice many things to be thankful for all around you!

2. Take Care of Your Health

The last thing you should do right now is let your health slide. But when life is filled with setbacks and burdens, it’s easy to let those hard things affect our ability to make our health a priority.

Make sure you’re getting enough sleep, going to bed early (if possible), drinking enough water, eating well, and getting fresh air and sunshine. Investing just a little bit of time everyday in your health can give you more energy and passion for life — which will, in turn, help fuel your hope.

On the flip side, if you let your health slide — eating junk food, not exercising, staying up too late, and so forth — it will invariably affect your ability to be at the top of your game mentally and emotionally. The result will likely be that you feel discouraged and lethargic.

Related: Read my series on 15 Ways to Have More Energy.

3. Have a Daily Routine

I’ve found that if you don’t have a plan for your days, they can feel chaotic and overwhelming. But creating a simple plan will give you momentum for getting up — even during the difficult time periods.

Don’t bite off more than you can chew when it comes to a routine. Even planning just 6-10 things you’ll do in the same order every day can give you a sense of structure and peace. Plus, I find I have more energy and get more done when we have a routine!

For help with setting up a routine, check out my series on How to Develop a Routine That Works — and Stick With It!

4. Set Small Goals

You need a reason for getting up every morning. A simple routine give you some purpose for your days, but I encourage you to take it a step further and set a few small goals. This will fuel your drive and help you see some forward momentum instead of just feeling like you’re stuck in a black hole.

You can set goals for how many Swagbucks you hope to earn each day, or a cleaning project you want to tackle, or for specific steps you’re going to take to look for a part-time job. Break your big goal down into bite-sized pieces and tackle a little bit every day.

If possible, find an accountability partner/cheerleader for your goal-setting. This could be someone local, or one of your friends or family members who live miles away. Knowing you have to report to someone on your daily or weekly progress will also help you stay motivated.

5. Cultivate Beauty and Creativity

It’s amazing how refreshing beauty and creativity can be for our souls, even during dark times. Listen to music online that uplifts you, keep your home neat and organized, pick a wildflower bouquet, find a new recipe to bake on Pinterest, work on a handwork project, or learn a new skill.

Figure out what refreshes you and make that a part of your life — even if it requires a little time and effort. Seeing that drawer you organized or that bread you baked or that handwork project you finished will life your spirits.

6. Plug Into Your Community

As much as is possible, plug into your local community. See if there’s a Bible study at a local church you can join, or a mom’s group you can connect with. Go to the park and strike up a conversation with another mom there. Check your local library for possible activities they offer or for a book club you could participate in.

Keep your eyes and ears open for anyone who might be open to come over for coffee or have a play date with you. Invite your neighbors over to hang out in your backyard. Look for that woman who is all by herself at Bible study and go sit by her and ask her about herself. Be hospitable, pretend you’re an extrovert (even if you’re not!), and look for any possibility of friendship.

You don’t need to load up your schedule with dozens of social engagements, but when you are first trying to find friendship and community, you often have to be pretty proactive to make it happen. Keep at it, don’t give up if the first few invites don’t turn into lasting friendship, and I can almost guarantee that you’ll eventually find at least a few good friendships where you’re at. It will take work and effort, but it will be worth it!

For more encouragement, read my posts on 16 Ways to Become More Content and Lessons From Our Little Basement Apartment.

What advice and counsel do the rest of you have for Heather?

photo credit; photo credit

Shared May 21, 2014 comment

Our Aldi Shopping Trip: Spent $55.39

Published: by Crystal Paine on May 21, 2014 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

After my Publix shopping trip fail, I decided to go back to my roots and try ALDI here in TN. I was planning to go last night, but Jesse was out running errands with Silas and offered to swing by ALDI to grab the items on my list. I was happy to oblige.

Here’s what we bought:

ALDI Shopping Trip

1 package tortillas — $1.19
2 cans refried beans — $0.79 each
2 boxes of aluminum foil — $1.99 each
Frozen green beans — $1.49
2 bags of chicken breasts — $5.99 each
1 package thick sliced bacon — $5.99
2 packages center cut bacon — $3.69 each
2 Cucumbers — $0.33 each
2 bags of Gala apples — $3.49 each
Strawberries — $1.99
4 Avocados — $0.99 each
Baby carrots — $0.99
Olive Oil — $2.99
Total with tax: $55.39

It wasn’t the most amazing shopping trip ever, but it did give me hope that, with some practice, we’ll be able to get back to most of the prices we were used to paying in Kansas! 🙂

Shared May 21, 2014 comment

How to Have a Successful Yard Sale

Published: by Crystal Paine on May 21, 2014 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

I had the privilege of doing a Skype interview with Leigh Ann Towne from FOX 17 recently on yard sale tips and tricks. She put together a great article and fun video on the subject that anyone who loves yard sales will want to check out.

Here’s a snippet from her article:

“What is a typical day off for me? Getting up dark and early, even though I don’t have to, hopping on www.garagesalefinder.com or Craigslistto see where I will find the treasures of the day. The thrill of the hunt is probably similar to what many sports fanatics feel on game day. (I too love sports, but not as much as thrifting).

Here’s a helpful hint, too. Before you head out for the day, download a garage sale finding app on your phone. One of my favorites is called “Garage Sales, Everywhere!” Just type in the keywords “garage sale finder” and several pop up. They can pinpoint your location and then show little flags on a map with the ones nearest to you. Pretty cool! The app works best when you have a co-pilot, so one can look and direct, while the other drives. My husband and I had so much fun going on a spur of the moment adventure with the app one day.

Before heading out recently on a Friday, I spoke via Skype with blogger Crystal Paine of Money Saving Mom. I was really intrigued with one of her entries called 10 Secrets to Holding a Successful Garage Sale…”

Read the full article and watch the news piece I was featured in here.

What tips and suggestions for yard sale success would you add? I’d love to hear!

Shared May 21, 2014 comment

Gretchen’s Target Shopping Trip: Spent $5.14 out of pocket!

Published: by Crystal Paine on May 21, 2014 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Target Shopping Trip

4 Knorr Rice or Pasta Sides at $1.02 each – On Sale Buy 3 Get 1 Free, used $0.50/2 coupon from the 5/18 RedPlum insert – $0.64 each after coupon (These are great to use while camping and since we do a lot of that, I always stock up on them when there is a deal!)

2 Garnier Fructis Hair Care – $2.84 each, used 2 $2/1 coupon from the 5/4 SmartSource insert AND 2 $0.75/1 Target printable – $0.09 each after coupons

2 Oscar Mayer P3 Protein Packs – $1.79 each, used $1/2 Target printable AND 2 $1/1 printable – $0.29 each after coupons

2 Wet Ones Wipes at $1.99 each – On Sale Buy One Get One 50% off, used $1/2 coupon from the 4/27 SmartSource insert AND 2 $0.50/1 Target printable – $0.49 each after coupons

Total before coupons and sales: $19.06

Total with tax ($0.84) after coupons and sales: $5.14

Shared May 21, 2014 comment

Sponsor Spotlight: CompAndSave.com

Published: by MSM Team on May 21, 2014 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

We’re excited to have CompAndSave.com as one of our sponsors this month! We had the opportunity to interview them and get to know their company a little more recently:

Tell us about the history of CompAndSave.

My wife and I started in a cramped garage back in 2003. We had our first baby on the way and knew that we needed to do something extra to prepare for this joyous time in our life.

I had IT experience, so I bought and fixed laptops locally. This proved to be too time consuming and my goal was extra finances for my soon to be family and I did not want work to cut into my time.

The idea came to me when I needed to buy printer ink so I could print some flyers for my laptop repair business. I reluctantly paid $45.87 (yup, I remember the exact price) for the ink and while driving back home the idea for CompAndSave.com was born.

11 years and 2 kids later, we now operate out of a 20,000 square-foot warehouse in the San Francisco, Bay Area. We have grown our business to 40 employees and over 100,000 customer base each month.

Not only did we help provide for our family, but we help customers save a fortune on their replacement ink and toner cartridges, as we continue to grow bigger each year!

Tell us about your products.

CompAndSave.com provides printer ink and toner cartridges, besides other printer supplies, such as photo papers, printer accessories, etc… We have a wide range of ink and toners and our inventory offers thousands of different products.

It’s a fact that this market is full of ink and toner suppliers, and they all claim to help you save a lot. So what makes CompAndSave different than the others?

Well, it is the post-purchase service, or in other words: Peace of mind when ordering from CompAndSave.com! We offer one-year money back guarantee on every product we sell, and we are proud of having almost 99% customer satisfaction rate.

We are the perfect match for MoneySavingMom.com readers. Our name, CompAndSave.com, which stands for compare and save and we offer compatible or remanufactured ink & toner cartridges that saves you up to 80% in comparison to brand name contenders.

In the end, almost everyone has a printer, and needs replacement ink every other month. Why would you pay a fortune for inks when you can get the same quality for a cheaper price?

Does CompAndSave have any new products or promotions coming up?

We are proud to announce a massive $1 ink campaign exclusive to MoneySavingMom.com readers. We specifically picked the best-selling ink cartridges from our database, and priced them at $1 compared to $20-$30 brand-name ones. Just visit this page, and find your ink within the clearance items list, and place your order for a price of gum.

If your ink model is not listed within the clearance items list, don’t worry. You can still save 15% on top of our savings up to 80%. Just use the given coupon code at checkout, and enjoy unbeatable prices.

Is CompAndSave involved in any charity work?

In February, we donated $1 from every transaction to American Heart Association, and we accumulated over $10,000 in one month. Presently, we are working in conjunction with Food for the Poor. Starting from May 2014, we will be recycling ink & toner cartridges, and donating every penny to help orphans and those who are less fortunate.

I would like to invite everyone to ship back their empty ink & toner cartridges to CompAndSave.com, so that we can convert that garbage into much needed donations. Also, in October, we are also preparing for a big campaign that will help us to donate a generous amount to fight against breast cancer.

What would you most like your customers or future customers to know about CompAndSave?

We are a colorful and fun company who not only help you save money on printer supplies, but also offer an entertaining shopping experience (our newsletter subscribers and social media followers know what I mean). We have fun contests with great prizes.

Just last Christmas, we gave away a diamond ring to one lucky customer, as well as a big screen TV, and a couple of iPhones and iPads. And we also work hard to give back to the community by contributing in many charity activities.

How can your customers get the most out of CompAndSave?

By subscribing to our bi-weekly newsletters! Our team works hard to determine what our customers need and want most, and our email campaigns are always driven with this point in mind.

Is there anything else that you would like for MSM readers to know about CompAndSave?

We would like to thank Crystal for having such a great website. We have been a loyal follower of her deal updates for many years, and we learned how to be frugal but also enjoy good things without spending a fortune.

Now, it is a great honor taking our place on MSM, and offering your readers a great way to save on ink. We hope this special $1 ink deal reaches the individuals who need it the most, and weappreciate MSM’s existence for helping them stay on a budget!

Interested in becoming a monthly sponsor or advertising with us? Find more details here.

OVER-SPENDING EVERY SINGLE MONTH?Grab these FREE Budgeting Sheets!

Click here to download!

Shared May 20, 2014 comment

Gretchen’s Walgreens Shopping Trip: Spent $2.16 out of pocket

Published: by Crystal Paine on May 20, 2014 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Walgreens Shopping Trip

2 Bayer Chewable Aspirin at $2.99 each – On Sale Buy One Get One 50% off
Used 2 $1.50/1 coupon from the 5/4 SmartSource insert
And used $1/1 Walgreens coupon from the Walgreens Coupon book (Found in the front of the store)
Free after coupons

2 Suave Lotion – $2.50 each
Used 2 $1.50/1 coupon from the 5/18 RedPlum insert
$1 each after coupons

Total before coupons and sales: $12.66

Total with tax ($0.68) after coupons and sales: $2.16

Shared May 20, 2014 comment

How We’re Saving Over $900 Per Month

Published: by Crystal Paine on May 20, 2014 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Guest post from Jason of Home Life Organized

I hope our story both encourages and gives you ideas of your own for budgeting and scaling back on expenses.

Between selling our second car, cutting the cord on cable, switching to a pay-as-you-go family phone plan, refinancing our house, and wiping out our credit card debt, my wife and I have learned how to effectively manage our budget and still be able to enjoy life without feeling like we’re giving anything up.

So why did we decide to make all of these changes? It was mostly a matter of circumstance for us.

My wife was pregnant and just laid off from her job. Although she tried to find other work, she wasn’t able to find anything through her pregnancy.

Once the baby came, we decided that she would stay at home with him. This meant that our take-home income was cut in half; we went from a dual-income couple, to a single-income family with a baby.

I already kept a monthly budget to track all of our regular bills, so I began with looking at what we were spending and where we could cut.

Here is how we ended up saving over $900 per month:

We Switched to One Car

We both leased cars and since my wife is home with the baby, she needed a car during the day. We are about 25 minutes from the train station that I take into work — so it’s definitely a sacrifice, but it was also a big savings for us. By switching to one car we saved on the car payment, car insurance, gas, and maintenance.

Savings $400/ month.

We Cut the Cord on Cable

The cable bill was out of control at almost $200/month and we needed to do something about it. We decided to cut the cord on cable and use a combination of Roku, Aereo, Netflix, Amazon Prime, and our personal DVD collection for our TV watching. So far so good and we are still able to watch every show we used to.

Savings $100/month.

We Switched Cell Phone Plans

Before we were married we each had our own service through different carriers. We ended up switching to a family plan through MetroPCS which included unlimited talk, text, and data so we haven’t missed a thing.

Savings $70/month

We Refinanced Our House

We already had a great interest rate on our house, but we were paying PMI (private mortgage insurance). Through home improvements we had enough equity and just recently completed the refinance, got rid of PMI, and lowered our mortgage payment.

Savings $120/month

We Paid Off Credit Card Debt

We just finished paying off our final credit card. We used the snowball method of paying off the lowest balance cards first and adding that extra amount to the next card.

Savings $300/month

If you had to save $900 per month, could you do it? If so, how?

Jason Bazinet blogs at Home Life Organized. He’s happily married to Keri and father to his amazing son, Reid. He works full-time in marketing, and loves finding good deals, cooking healthful but convenient meals, and spending time with his family.photo source

Shared May 19, 2014 comment

Weekend recap: My first visit to Charming Charlie, a run-in with the escalator, and a fun evening with friends!

Published: by Crystal Paine on May 19, 2014 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

I had the privilege of speaking at Teach Them Diligently in DC this past weekend. It was held at the Gaylord at National Harbor and it was just gorgeous there! The views were amazing — and the area was so nice!

After a busy day of speaking, my business manager (Joy) and road manager (Liz) took me to Charming Charlie… And they helped me find a replacement purse for my diaper bag that I had been using as a purse for far too long (it was falling apart at the seams — as evidenced by this picture). They are taking the roles of manager and road manager to a whole new level — and I really like the bag they helped me pick out! 🙂

We have a running joke that every time I give my Say Goodbye to Survival Mode talk, there is always unexpected chaos or crazy on that day. And well, something crazy happened again… right after giving that talk, I got my dress stuck in the escalator!

I was so grateful part of my dress didn’t rip off and that I didn’t trip and fall down the escalator! Yikes!

Word to the wise: maxi dresses and escalators don’t mix. The good news: after a lot of scrubbing and stain remover, I may be able to salvage the dress. If you have any advice how to get the remaining grease out of the dress, I’d welcome it!

I flew home on Saturday night… it’s always so good to be home! I made up for lost sleep that night. And then we spent a really evening with our friends the Smiths and the Acuffs on Sunday evening.

All the kids tried to get on the slackline at once and it was quite hilarious to watch! We topped off the night with roasting marshmallows and great conversation and laughter around the campfire.

We continue to be so blessed by the friendships, authenticity, and community here. We are humbly grateful for all the folks who have reached out and opened up their hearts and homes to us. We are learning a whole new definition of “community” by being here and it’s a beautiful thing!

How was your weekend? Did anything exciting or interesting happen at your house? And any tips on getting the grease stains out of my dress?

Shared May 19, 2014 comment

This Week’s Menu Plan

Published: by Crystal Paine on May 19, 2014 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Breakfasts

Oatmeal, Cereal, Eggs, and/or Fruit

Lunches

Mac & cheese, fruit
Snack-y lunch {veggies, cheese, yogurt, fruit, crackers, etc.}
PB&J, carrot sticks, apples
Cheese quesadillas, carrot sticks
Leftovers x 3

Snacks

Fruit/veggies
Popcorn
Boiled eggs

Dinners

Meaty Monday (A local family coordinates this every week & they were so gracious to invite us to be apart — it’s a weekly informal gathering of friends — each familybrings some kind of meat for the grill and some kind of side.)
Pancakes, Eggs, Bacon
Spaghetti Pizza, fruit, steamed veggies
Southwest Roll-Ups, fruit, salad
Twisted Pizza Breadsticks, fruit, steamed veggies
Dinner Out
Dinner With Friends — bring veggies & fruit

What’s on your menu this week? Tell us in the comments or leave a link to your menu plan post.

Shared May 19, 2014 comment

10 Goals For This Week

Published: by Crystal Paine on May 19, 2014 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

So, um, last week was sort of a dud when it came to goal-setting. I was running full steam all week long, but just didn’t get a chance to tackle many of the planned items on my list. Oh well, I’ll try again this week. 🙂

By the way, I’ll be speaking at the Florida Homeschool Convention this Thursday through Saturday. If you’re going to be there, be sure to come find me after one of my sessions or stop by our booth. One of my favorite parts of speaking is getting to meet my readers face-to-face!

Last Week’s Goals:

Marriage/Mothering/Homemaking Goals

1. Get our closet organized.

2. Get the garage organized.

3. Get the bookshelf/school area organized.

4. Write a love note to Jesse.

5. Finish embroidering quilt square for my sister’s baby quilt.

Personal Goals

6. Work on memorizing & reviewing Romans 1:1-29.

~~7. Exercise four times.~~

8. Finish reading Red Hot Monogamy, ~~Secrets of Dynamic Communication~~, and Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook.

Business Goals

~~9. Finish tweaks/edits for my talks this weekend at the Teach Them Diligently conference in DC.~~

~~10. Write one guest post for another blog.~~

This Week’s Goals:

Marriage/Mothering/Homemaking Goals

1. Get our closet organized.

2. Get the garage organized.

3. Get the bookshelf/school area organized.

4. Write a love note to Jesse.

5. Finish embroidering quilt square for my sister’s baby quilt.

Personal Goals

6. Work on memorizing & reviewing Romans 1:1-29.

7. Exercise four times.

8. Finish reading Red Hot Monogamy, The Traitor’s Wife, and Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook.

Business Goals

9. Finish tweaks/edits for my talks this weekend at the Florida Homeschool Convention

10. Write one guest post for another blog.

How did you do on last week’s goals? What are your goals for this week? I’d love to have you share your progress on last week’s goals and your goals for this coming week in the comments. Of, if you’ve blogged about it, leave your direct link below. Let’s cheer each other on to live purposeful and productive lives! You can download a free customizable weekly goal-planning sheet here.

Summer Bucket List

Summer Bucket List

FREE Summer Bucket List!!

Breakfasts

Lunches

Snacks

Freezer Cooking in an Hour Plan

Dinners

May’s Challenge:

My Get More Rest Goal for May

This Week’s Progress:

How Are YOU Doing?

Aldi

Dillons

Menu Plan for this Week

Breakfasts

Lunches

Dinners

WANT TO SAVE $100 FAST?!Join the FREE 14-Day Savings Challenge!

1. Practice Gratitude

2. Take Care of Your Health

3. Have a Daily Routine

4. Set Small Goals

5. Cultivate Beauty and Creativity

6. Plug Into Your Community

What advice and counsel do the rest of you have for Heather?

ALDI Shopping Trip

What tips and suggestions for yard sale success would you add? I’d love to hear!

Target Shopping Trip

Tell us about the history of CompAndSave.

Tell us about your products.

Does CompAndSave have any new products or promotions coming up?

Is CompAndSave involved in any charity work?

What would you most like your customers or future customers to know about CompAndSave?

How can your customers get the most out of CompAndSave?

Is there anything else that you would like for MSM readers to know about CompAndSave?

OVER-SPENDING EVERY SINGLE MONTH?Grab these FREE Budgeting Sheets!

Walgreens Shopping Trip

We Switched to One Car

We Cut the Cord on Cable

We Switched Cell Phone Plans

We Refinanced Our House

We Paid Off Credit Card Debt

If you had to save $900 per month, could you do it? If so, how?

How was your weekend? Did anything exciting or interesting happen at your house? And any tips on getting the grease stains out of my dress?

Breakfasts

Lunches

Snacks

Dinners

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